Container

ABSTRACT

A COMPARTMENTIZED CONTAINER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING WITH A RING-LIKE BASE AND A SHOULDERED TOP SUCH THAT THE UNITS CAN BE READILY STACKED, A PLURALITY OF ROTATABLE, NESTED COMPARTMENTS, A PIVOTED DOOR PROVIDING ACCESS TO EACH OF THE COMPARTMENTS AS THEY ARE ROTATED, AND   A DISHED TOP SURFACE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A HANDLE SUCH THAT IT DOES NOT OBSTRUCT STACKING OF THE CONTAINERS.

Jan. 26, 1971y K. D. ERICKS- N CONTAINER Filed 0G13. 22. 1968 INVENTOR.' KEITH DUANE ERICKSON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,558,206 CONTAINER Keith Duane Erickson, 1170 Elgin Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah 84106 Filed Oct. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 769,550 Int. Cl. A47b 81/00 U.S. Cl. 312-290 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A compartmentized container having a cylindrical housing with a ring-like base and a shouldered top such that the units can be readily stacked; a plurality of rotatable, nested compartments; a pivoted door providing access to each of the compartments as they are rotated; and a dished top surface adapted to support a handle such that it does not obstruct stacking of the containers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION There has long been a need for a low cost container that will hold multiple parts separated, yet readily available, even though the container may be overturned or subjected to rough handling. There has also been a need for such a container arranged so that a plurality of them can be readily stacked as modular units whereby they form a single useful storage center.

Containers such as have been above described are needed, for example, by fishermen to keep lures, hooks, sinkers and other tackle items separated; by mechanics and homeowners to keep nails, nuts, bolts and other such items separated; and by housewives to separate items such as pins and needles, buttons, or many other household items. Others uses -will be apparent.

In constructing the present invention, principal objects were to provide a container that would securely hold items separated, even if tipped upside down; to provide a container that affords easy access to each compartment; to provide a container that can be connected in multiple as a storage area, without wasting space or sacrificing attractive unit appearance and to provide such a container at a cost comparable with or below that of other similarly used items on the market.

Principal features of the invention include the cylindrical housing that has a ring-like base and a shouldered top such that the containers can be stacked in a stable fashion. A plurality of nested, circular shelves are provided with each shelf having upstanding dividers to divide it into compartments and a dish-shaped base that conforms to the upper edge shape of the dividers of the shelf below. A long bolt passes through the stacked or nested shelves and provides a shaft about which the shelves can rotate in lazy susan fashion.

Other objects and features will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawing.

'I'I-IE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container of the invention with its access cover open;

FIG. 2, a vertical section, taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3, a perspective view of a shelf of the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION `Referring now to the drawing:

-In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the container of the invention comprises a housing having a cylindrical side wall that projects downwardly from a shoulder 10a to form a ring-like base 11 below a at bottom 12. Bottom 12 will then t tightly against the shoulder 10a.

3,558,206 Patented Jan. 26, 1971 A dish-shaped top 13 is secured to the side wall at the top thereof, and as shown, is press fitted into the side wall in the same manner as is the bottom 12. Obviously, top 13 could be attached in other ways. It could, for example, be cemented in place, or it could be removably attached with screws, threads or other attachment means. The top could also be formed integrally with the side Wall.

A bolt 14 is passed upwardly through the center of bottom 12 and through the center hubs 15 of a plurality of identical shelves 16 before being threaded into the center of top 13, at 17. The bolt 12 thus holds the assembly together by clamping bottom 12 to the side wall 10.

Each of the shelves 16 is made with a dish-shaped base 18 that is fiat throughout its central portion 18a and that is upturned at its outer edge 18b. The central hub 15 extends upwardly from the center of each base and dividers 19 radiate outwardly therefrom and vertically above the base. As illustrated, each shelf is provided with four dividers, but fewer, or more, could be used, in accordance with the desired size of the compartments formed between them. It should also be apparent that the individual shelves could have different numbers of dividers, however, =the cost of the unit -will generally be reduced if identical shelves are used.

The upstanding dividers etxend outwardly to the outer edge of the base, and the outer edges of the dividers extend to a point close to the inner surface of the wall 10, so that objects placed in the container cannot move therepast or become wedged between them.

The upper edges of the dividers 19 are each shaped to conform'to the under surface of the shelf thereabove and thus are curved upwardly at their outer ends.

The lowermost shelf 16 has its central portion sitting on the bottom 12 and each succeeding shelf has its bottom 1,2 resting on the center hub 15 and dividers 19` of the shelf elow.

The dish-shaped top 13 has a bottom surface conforming to the shape of the bases of the shelves and this surface rests just slightly above the center rub 15 and dividers 19 of the uppermost shelf 16.

The shelves are thus individually or collectively rotatable about the bolt 14, depending upon the load placed thereon and the friction resulting between the bases and the center hubs and dividers which they contact. Whether they rotate individually or together is immaterial to a user since either way the good contained therein are easily presented at opening 20 for inspection or removal, or the compartments for-med between the dividers are presented to receive objects.

Opening 20 preferably comprises a cut-out portion 20a in the top 13 extending from the center thereof to the outer edge and an aligned cut-out portion 2Gb, extending from the upper edge of the side wall 10 downwardly to a location at or below the outermost edge of the base of the lowermost shelf 16.

A cover plate 21 is arranged to fit into the opening 20 and is shaped to conform thereto. Thus, the cover plate includes a top portion 21a that is curved at its outer edge like the top 13 and an elongate, transversely curved section 2lb conforming to the side wall 10 of the housing. The sections 21a and 2lb are connected by a section 21e, conforming in configuration to the shouldered portion of the housing and curved to form a continuation thereof. As shown, the sections 21a, 2lb and 21e are preferably formed as a single integral unit.

A pair of nipples 22 protrude from the opposite sides of section 21a at one end of the cover plate and are respectively litted into holes formed in projections 23 on the top 13. The nipples thus serve as a pivot axis for the cover plate as it is pivoted from a position closing the opening 20 to the fully open position shown in FIGS. 1

3 and 2, where the opening is left completely open for easy access to the compartments formed between the divider 19.

Another pair of nipples 24 positioned at opposite sides of section 2lb are adapted to snap into and out of recesses formed in projections 25 on the side wall 10 at opposite sides of the bottom of opening 21. A knob 26 at the end of section 2lb remote from section 21C provides gripping means for use in opening the cover plate.

In its fully open position the cover plate is adapted to overlie a handle 27 which is pivotally connected to lugs 28 on the top 13 and which rests on the top; except when it is being used to carry the container, at which time it is pivoted to an upright carrying position, not shown. The container is very useful either as an individual unit or as a module of a larger storage center. When used individually the cover plate is used to keep items in the compartments from falling out as the container is moved, and because of the close tolerances between the shelves 16 and wall 10 and between the dividers 19 of the uppermost shelf 16 and the bottom of top 13, the items will not fall from the compartments even if the container is tipped completely upside down and is shaken. It is, therefore, an especially useful item for the storage of such items as lures, hooks and other gear used by fishermen that must be vkept separated or that becomes tangled and difficult to use.

If the container is to be used as a modular component of a storage center, the cover plate 21 will normally be removed by snapping nipple 22 from the projections 23 and the containers will be stacked one on top of the other to a desired height.

Small parts or components can then be easily stored within the compartments formed by the divider and they will be easily accessible, with each compartment being readily rotated into access position at the opening 21. If desired, labels can be applied to the dividers to facilitate location of parts or components and the labels will be easily viewed through the opening 21 as the dividers are rotated. Also, if desired, the cover plates of the uppermost ones of the stacked containers can be left in place.

While the container can obviously be made of other materials, because of its low cost, plastic is the presently preferred construction material. Each part can be ejection molded and one mold will be all that is required for the shelves if they are made identical.

Although a preferred form of my invention has been herein disclosed, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible, without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter I regard as my invention.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a housing having a cylindrical side Wall;

a bottom closing said housing;

a top closing said housing;

a shaft extending upwardly through said housing;

a plurality of dish-shaped shelves each including a base extending into close proximity with said side wall,

an upstanding hub formed centrally of and extending upwardly from the said base and journaled about the shaft, and a number of upstanding dividers secured to and extending upwardly from the base and outwardly from the hub, said dividers supporting and being shaped at their uppermost surfaces to conform to the undersurface of the base of the shelf thereabove; and

an opening in the housing providing access to each compartment formed by adjacent dividers and their base.

2. A container as in claim 1, wherein the top is shaped to fit closely above the dividers of the uppermost shelf.

3. A container as in claim 2, wherein a peripheral shoulder is formed at the top of the housing and the bottom is recessed into the housing such that a ring-shaped portion of housing below the bottom is adapted to rest on the shoulder of another of said containers.

4. A container as in claim 3, wherein the opening in the housing extends from the central portion of the top radially outward to the edge of the housing and downwardly to a point below the outer edge of the base of the lowermost shelf.

5. A container as in claim 4, wherein a cover plate having a portion conforming to the dish-shaped top, a portion conforming to the shouldered part of the housing and a portion curved to conform to the side wall, is provided for the opening; and

means are provided for pivotally mounting said cover plate to said top and for releasably securing it to the side wall in its closed position.

6. A container as in claim 5, wherein a handle is pivotally mounted on the top so as to be moved between a rest position on the top beneath the cover plate when the cover plate is in its f-ully open position, and an upright carrying position when the cover plate is closed.

7. A container as in claim 6, wherein the cover plate is adapted to be removable from the housing when the container is to be used as a modular component of a storage center.

8. A container as in claim 6, wherein all components are made of plastic.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. XR. 312-305, 267 

